The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 375

With a sigh, I followed Mia into the shop. The walls were lined with racks completely packed with all sorts of gowns. Everything smelled like flowers and vanilla, and Zane was already picking at a little cart with tiny sandwiches and petit fours that were definitely meant for the bridal parties.

I walked over to him and smacked his hand away before the attendant saw us. He smiled at me, his cheeks full of cake.

Taking care not to be spotted, I moved closer to the private room Bianca was in and peeked through the opening in the screen. I could see her stepping down off the platform now.

“I think something more form-fitting would be better,” she was saying. “Something to show off my curves. A little sex appeal, you know?”

The older woman who was with her said something in response, but I couldn’t hear it.

Curious, I moved a little closer to the screen. I could see Bianca’s silhouette moving behind it as she pulled a mermaid-style gown off the rack and held it up to her body. “How about this one?” she said.

The woman hesitated, then said in a whisper that I had to strain to hear, “Aren’t you worried about your belly?”

Bianca didn’t answer. I scooched a little closer, intrigued now.

“Listen,” the woman whispered, pulling Bianca away from the others and unwittingly closer to where I was standing, “it’s pretty, but you’ll have to pad your belly by the time the wedding date comes around. And he’ll notice. So it might be better to wear something that covers everything up. Safer that way.”

My brows shot up. They were talking about padding Bianca’s belly out?

That made no sense. She was pregnant. Any bride, especially one like Bianca, would be more concerned with hiding her growing belly on her wedding day. Not worrying about having to enhance it if she wore something form-fitting.

“But Mom,” Bianca whined, stamping her foot on the floor, “I really like this one…”

Mom. That piqued my interest further. I leaned over, peeking through the gaps in the screen, trying to get a better look at the woman. Suddenly, it hit me—why I’d thought she was familiar before.

A moment later, the curtains to the bay window were snapped shut, concealing Bianca and her bridal party.

“Well,” Zane said, still chewing, “that was fun.”

I shot him a look. “We’re never doing that again.”

He grinned. “Yeah. Sure we won’t.”

I rolled my eyes again and grabbed Mia’s hand, heading toward the bagel shop. As we passed by the bay window, the curtain twitched, and I looked up to see Bianca’s mother’s face glaring at me from within.

My footsteps faltered for a moment as her gaze pierced into me. Something about that look made me uneasy. But before I could dwell on it, the curtains shut again, and she was gone.